The future awaits: IHE Delft class of 2024
Vibrant colours, joyful smiles and a deep sense of accomplishment filled the air as 120 students from 47 countries gathered at the Oude Kerk in Delft on 9 October to celebrate a major milestone—their graduation from IHE Delft’s 12-month master’s programme in Water and Sustainable Development.
For many, this moment was bittersweet. It’s a fond farewell to the culturally rich academic life and familiar routines that shaped their experience of studying in the Netherlands. Yet, at the same time, the ceremony marked a bold step toward a future brimming with opportunities, challenges and many uncertainties.
The power of curiosity
Delivering the graduation speech, the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Musonda Mumba, a Zambia-born Wetland Ecologist, shared how cultivating a mindset of curiosity empowered her throughout her career to embrace change, navigate complexities with grace and seize opportunities with courage—even in times of uncertainty.
Drawing on her own experiences, Mumba encouraged the students to embrace the unknown with confidence. She spoke about the power of curiosity and urged them to use this tool as they start the next chapter of their lives in a world that is complex, ever-changing and at times daunting: “The world that you navigated 12 months ago is a different world now, but remain curious” she told the graduates.
She emphasised that curiosity is not only the key to continuous learning and self-discovery, but also a means to understanding others more deeply: “By being curious, not only will you remain open to learning and getting new knowledge, but you will also discover different parts of yourself. You will understand people differently because, through curiosity, you listen more attentively.”
"By being curious, not only will you remain open to learning and getting new knowledge, but you will also discover different parts of yourself."
Treasure friendships
As new water ambassadors, equipped with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge, the graduates are ready to return to their home countries to collaborate on finding solutions for some of the most complex water-related challenges faced by communities around the world.
Building global connections in an increasingly turbulent world will be vital in leading solutions to these problems. IHE Delft Rector Eddy Moors called on the new IHE Delft alumni to be leaders who improve the lives of communities. He also encouraged them to treasure friendships.
“Looking at the turmoil in the world today, I think we need to have more friends. So I encourage you to reach out your hand and take people along with you,” he said. These friendships will be important for creating a better, water-secure future.
Stewards of water
Fellow student and Head of the Student Association Board Isaq Tuna of Kenya reflected on the past year in his address to the graduates, acknowledging it included challenges. “It hasn’t been an easy path,” he said. But he also called on the graduates to embody the change they wish to see in the world: “Be the change that the world needs. Because if not you, then who?”, he said.
The ceremony also featured a speech by Ahmed Saber Sakna from Egypt, another member of the Student Association Board. Offering words of hope and encouragement, he reminded graduates that they have the ability to write their own stories. In doing so, he called on them to be resilient in the face of overwhelming odds, to protect and uplift those in need, and to trust in the power of words and collective ideas to create real change.
“Our words and actions, even the smallest ones, leave marks,” he said, emphasising the importance of every contribution.
"Be the change that the world needs. Because if not you, then who?"
Watch the graduation
Did you miss the graduation ceremony? Click here to watch the recording.
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